The Garden of Eve
by inactiveGE
Summary: Colin Discovers a secret relationship. As jealousy eats him from the inside, he must confront Dickon, but will Mary forgive him for what follows?
1. broken magic

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.

A/N: reviews are nice?

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Dickon looked at Mary from across the Garden. She was trying to evade Colin's suspicion. For some reason, Dickon knew Colin didn't like it when Mary and himself were alone together. So she feigned innocent, carefree, and happy while working with him on the tulips, stroking up light conversation. 

He was supposed to be pulling weeds. But it was mid day. He decided to take in the scenery for a while.

Briefly, for a moment, their eyes met. He saw her make an excuse. He walked backwards around a hedge,into the nook near a statue.

As soon as he saw her turn the corner, she was taken by the arm and pulled against him, his arm neatly encasing her waist. Soon he met her sweet seductive lips, her warmth spreading through him.

And then, breaking magic, Colin's voice snapped through the air. "Mary?" He was hobbling around the corner, but not slow enough so that Mary and Dickon had time to break apart. "Have you found the clippers" was broken off mid sentence as he saw them separate.

Mary and Dickon looked at him, shocked. Colin just stared back, appalled. He was sixteen though. He didn't throw tantrums and cry any more.

"Colin." Mary said breathlessly.

Infuriated beyond his beliefs, he spoke in a low voice. "Leave, Marry." He was looking Dickon in the eye, and Dickon just looked back, calmly, knowingly, consolingly, looked back.

"Colin, I-"

"Mary, leave." Dickon said to her. "Go to the swing, I'll come to get you soon." He never tore his gaze away from Colin the entire time. But as Marylooked down,he looked down on her, raising her chin. "I'll be good, promise." He smiled at her. Even though she didn't love Colin the way he did her, she still would never want any harm to come to him.

She nodded solemnly, and kissed him on the cheek. Then they watched as she left down the pathway, her blue dress swaying in the wind.


	2. Posessing eve

As soon as her steps faded, Colin briskly walked over to Dickon and punched him in the face.

Dickon stood calmly, allowing it to happen. The impact was hard, intending to leave a bruise. When Dickon touched his hand to his left cheek, he knew it would

"That one's free. But I warn ya, master Colin, not to try tha' again." He spoke in his normal accent, staring into Colin's fuming face.

"What I don't understand is... why? What do you have? What can you do? How will you ever support her... Your common! I, I could be able to provide her with EVERYTHING. She'll never need, or want, for anything. When she has children, I can make sure they will have a future. What will YOU do? How can YOU be all she needs?" Colin was out of breath from yelling. Dickon looked on at his struggling form, his eyes unreadable.

"I love her, Colin. And she loves me. That's all that maters." He said seriously, and it was one of the rare moments when he didn't speak with a smile.

"No!" He said darkly. "She **needs** food, water, a roof over her head. She needs someone who can look after her, doctors when she's sick. She needs to be free to explore the world. And this is Mary. She deserves the best of everything."

"She does deserve the best." Dickon agreed. "I can take care of her." He said in a voicethat seemed to leave no argument.

"You say that now." Colin Spat. "But what happens when you think you've found someone better? You don't love her anymore. And she'll be left, with no money, no home, I can provide security. And I can love her support for her, be there for her, even when she is dying, and even after I am dead."

"Colin, you don't love Mary." Colin was about to retort, but Dickon spoke again, his voice was firm, but kept a level tone. It wasn't angry, but more like trying to explain something, or reaffirming something. "You want her... you'll treat her as a possession. You don't love her, not in that way. Colin, Mary is not your to control, it's her choice."

And then, Colin lost control. "No, She IS mine to control. I will have her. She shouldn't even be slumming around with a person of your station. And if you don't leave her alone, I'll see to it you won't set foot within a mile of Mistethwait, or the garden!" He yelled furiously.

Suddenly, a tiny gasp was heard. Their heads snapped in unison to see the retreating form of Mary.

Dickon gave one last look to Colin, scolding, yet pitying. Then he ran off to follow Mary.

He found Mary crying at the swing. He slowed down on sight of her. He slowly walked to her hunched body. He came and stood infront of her. Without words, without looking up at him, she fell into his arms, her huddled shape protected by his strong arms. "Shhh... shhh ms. Mary." Dickon whispered consolingly into her hear.

"Your not common." Mary said in a breaking whisper. Dickon was surprisingly touched by these words, but he continued to comfort his Mary. As her sobs began to slow, he kissed the top of her dark golden hair.

"C-can I come home with you tonight?" She sniffled as she withdrew to look him in the face.

"Why, of course Miss. Mary." He knew this was what she wanted. He didn't ask questions."I'll give you some of my supper as well."

"No, that's allright. I don't need to be fed. I'm not that hungry. Besides, they hardly rememebered to feed me in India. I'm sure I'll do for one night." Dickon's brow furrowed at the comment. Aside from the fact that he didn't like the thought of Mary going without food, he was also a bit worried that she still harbored bitterness from the past, specifically, her past in India.

But he nodded, none the less. He'd get food into her somehow. He guided her through the gargen knowing Colin wouldn't be there. He'd run off., ashamed and afraid. But Dickon's job right now was to make Mary forget her distress, which meant he couldn't think about Colin either. This was easy enough in her prescence however, and as he led Mary through the Garden, his eyes flew to the sky, wondering why the world was so wonderful, that it could hold someone so beautifullike Mary in it.


	3. as you were

The next day, Colin woke up in a dreadful mood. He wanted to apologize to Mary, make things okay. If only to be friends. He hated just being a friend, but it was better than this. It was bright and early as he ran to Mary's room.

But to his shock an surprise, she wasn't there. Had she run away?

He burst into Martha's room.

"Martha, did Mary come in last night?"

Martha's eyes widened. "Shh, master Colin. If the house keeper were to find out, she'd have my hide as well as hers."

"Well, I won't tell... if you tell me any idea where you think she might be." He whispered confidentially.

He saw Martha's eyes widen in worry, then... in fear. "Dickon! He's just built a small barn next to Ma's. He sleeps there with his animals! He might have brought her there!" She whispered. Then she made the sign of the cross on her chest. "Lets hope Mary hasn't gone an"

"-You and I both, Martha." Colin murmured,

Then he turned, and was rushing through he halls, down to the stables. He took out Pistachio, his horse. He mounted it like Dickon had shown him how years ago, and galloped as hard and fast as he could.

Finally, he came up to the familiar house. As children, Dickon used to take Mary and Him to visit his family some times, and his mother. Dickon loved his mother, and it showed strongly when he spoke of her.

Colin saw next to the small house, a roughly similarly sized one. Wooden, fairly well built by the looks of it, and sturdy. He quietly dismounted, and creaked the ajar door a bit farther, to allow him to step inside.

He was almost surprised to see Dickon sitting down, a few feet away, feeding a baby lamb. This is how Colin always seemed to remember him by. Feeding a baby lamb. Next to him, he was also trying to make what was assumed to be the mother, comfortable as she slept.

"Where is she?" Colin said in a normal voice, but it seemed to loud for this quiet atmosphere.

Dickon didn't even glance up. "Shh, she's sleeping." He said, nodding his head towards the mother.

Colin was confused, not sure what, or who he meant, but as Dickon handed him another bottle, nodding towards the other mewling baby lamb, Colin sat on the hay ground.

"You see, you have to handle them with care." He whispered confidentially. "They can be very stubbornly free spirited, and don't like it when we restrict them. He looked down at his lamb now. "Particularly this one. She's often been treated like a thing. She kept getting traded to people who took care of her, but sometimes ignored her. She doesn't like it when people handle her like that."

Colin had been fumbling, to feed the baby lamb, but he was also listening to Dickon. After he had finished speaking, he looked up, solemn and understanding. "Do you think she'll forgive me?"

Dickon released the lamb from his grasp as he answered. "I don't know. She has her own mind about where she wants to go. But I think if you give her the chance, she can surprise you." The lamb who had been clumsily trying to walk was now bounding off happily. Dickon and Colin smiled after it, and for a moment, it was as if they were ten and 12 again. But then Colin was brought back to reality by a pressing matter, and turned to Dickon.

"Can I see her?"

Dickon's brown furrowed, and a new look entered his eyes. "She's sleeping right now. She shouldn't be disturbed."

"Oh, of course. But I mean, se her. Just to see if she's okay?"

Dickon raised an eyebrow. "So, you don't trust me now?"

"Dickon, will you or won't you?"

"No." He said flatly, his eyes once again unreadable. "Mary will be in the garden by noon, Colin. Please leave her in peace now." Colin looked into Dickon's hard set determined eyes. Colin, defeated, walked out.

But as Colin was about to mount his horse, he saw Dickon going out with two milk pails. He waited a few moments for him to be out of site, then dashed to the once again ajar door.

As he stepped in, he looked around hurriedly, to see where Mary was, but to no avail. He looked up by chance, and was gifted with the sight of a ladder.

He climbed up it, and was rewarded with a beautiful sight.

On the second floor, in front of him, was piles and piles of hay, and on top of a stack, there was a peak of dark gold hair, covered by hay. But his relief was short lived. Upon closer inspection, he observed she was naked.

He was then taken over by waves of nausea. His heart seemed to shatter. He felt like running away. Far, far away, Go to the garden, lock himself in there, and die along with all the other trees, and flowers.

Then he heard steps below, and he knew it was Dickon. He spotted another haystack near the corner, and silently walked to it in a hurry.

Dickon came up with on pail in hand. He walked slowly to Mary, taking the empty space Colin was certain he slept in the night before. He was laying down face to face with her. And Colin saw his hand ever so slightly caress her cheek, and tuck back her hair. Then his hand rested on her cheek and Colin saw her rise slowly.

"I have some breakfast for tha, if tha will eat today." He said softly.

Colin saw her smile at him in that magical way of hers, and it pained him deeply. He continued to torture himself, however, and could not tear his eyes away.

He watched her slowly rise, taking the sheet he produced to cover herself for the meanwhile. She searched for her clothes around the floor. As she dressed in her underwhere, Colin looked away, respectfully. He still had some morals.

He looked up when she was covered in her undergarments, which showed nothing. She gave Dickon a kiss, then smiled delightedly at the milk.

Dickon grinne, offering it to her. Hesitantly, she reached for it. Then Colin saw her gulp it down. Dickon grinned in a self-satisfying kind of way.

"Come on now, Mary, Mum wants to have a talk with you." He said, after she had fully dressed with his help.

"Yes, that's perfect." Then a pause. "Dickon?" She said, standing over him as he was about to climb down the laddrr.

"Yes Ms. Marry?"

"Thank you." She said gratefully. "For everything."

For a moment, Dickon passed, then he put a hand on the railing above, and lifted himself to meet Mary's lips in a passionate kiss.

He grinned when he pulled back. Then he left down the ladder, and soon after Mary followed.

After they had left, Colin did as well, rushing home, trying to ignore the pain. He pretended that everything was normal. No one thought anything was amiss back at the manor. Everyone thought Mary had 'gone into the gardens' extremely early. That was that. It ripped him apart inside to know what really happened.


	4. comming to terms

A/N:kk, still a bit more after this. Thnx for staying with me. Sorry it took so long.

He couldn't wait for twelve, so he packed his lunch at 11:00 and left in a run.

He didn't understand why. He obviously would never get Mary. He realized that she wasn't his anymore. But then again, was she ever?

But running into the garden he had hope: hope that Mary would forgive him, befriend him. Hope that he had not ruined a friendship. Hope that he would once again be rewarded with that magical smile of hers. Better a friend Than nothing at all.

In the garden, he sat on the stump, knowing fully well they would still come at the time set. And so it was that at exactly 12:00, the garden opened. Mary and Dickon were solemn, hand in hand.

Mary kept her eyes unfocused, on the ground. Dickon though, looked straight at Colin with that gaze of his.

They stopped a foot away from him. Dickon murmured something in her ear, smiling. He kissed her forehead, and nodded to Colin, and then he walked to another part of the garden.

Colin didn't know what to say. She still looked at anything but him.

"Mary, I'm, sorry for the way I acted." Colin said. Mary didn't move. She looked at the floor, and the Colin realized she was surpressing rage. Bravely, he continued. "I know what I said was wrong, but" and suddenly, it was like they were back to when they were ten years old, and it was a rainy day, and Mary had just quit playing with the puppets.

"You spoiled uptight Raja!" She yelled, looking into his face for the first time, and he saw rage in her eyes like he hadn't seen for years. He wanted to intervene, to reason, but she wouldn't let him. "You're so selfish. I thought you had changed all these years, but your still a self-centered controlling little boy." She took a breath, then continued." And how DARE you call Dickon common? Your much more common than he is-"

Colin was now offended, but could not retort due to Mary's banter. "And who are you to decide whom I belong to? No one owns me, Colin. **I **control me. Do you understand?"

Colin swallowed, looking into her smoldering eyes, and wondering whether he could actually bring himself to end any emotions that would interfere witha normal stable friendship.If he could will himself tostop feeling hate and let her go. Henodded earnestly, wide eyed. He could try.

He hadn't seen this side of Mary for years.

She seemed to look at him hard for a long time. Her gaze bore into him, as if she were taking him apart piece by piece under a microscope, then she nodded slowly.

"Good... then perhaps we can be friends again..."


End file.
